Overview
Malaria genetics and functional genomics of vector/parasite interactions leading to human malaria transmission
My research centres on unravelling the complexities of malaria transmission biology. Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium protozoan parasite, is transmitted from human to human via Anopheles mosquitoes. Within the mosquito vector, malaria parasites face major challenges, particularly as they traverse the mosquito midgut facing robust mosquito immune responses. Our investigations have revealed intricate host-parasite interactions and identified key roles of specific parasite proteins in conferring resistance against these immune responses.
Current research is geared towards:
- Unravelling the intricate mechanisms that underpin and characterizing the key regulators governing parasite development within the mosquito.
- Characterizing malaria parasite molecules that mediate interactions with the vector, with a particular focus on those contributing to resistance against its immune responses.
- Identifying novel targets within both the parasite and mosquito, with the aim to advance strategies for blocking malaria transmission, especially those harnessing the transformative power of vector gene drives.
Funds
- Co-Investigator and Lead Scientist in r Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation program Transmission Zero: Achieving Field Readiness (INV-058071; 01/2024-12/2026), Total value: $15,287,967.
- Lead Scientist in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation program Transmission Zero – testing anti-P. falciparum effectors in the field (INV-002657; 06/2020-12/2023), Total value: $4,597,266.
- Co-Investigator in Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Grant Investigation of the impact of the mosquito immune system on shaping the transmitted malaria parasite populations (79729/20; 01/2021-12/2023), Total value: £783,382.
- Lead Scientist in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation program Transmission Zero – Enabling the testing of transmission blocking traits of transgenic mosquitoes in Tanzania, (OPP1158151 Supplement, 1/2019-5/2020), Total Value: $949,372.
- Lead Scientist in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation program Transmission Zero – Engineering, evaluation and drive of antimalarial population replacement traits in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae (OPP1158151, 12/2016-5/2020, Total value: $2,802,970.
- Scientific Coordinator and lead researcher in Wellcome Trust SIA: 107983/Z/15/Z: Anopheles-Plasmodium interactions: mosquito immune response and parasite immune evasion strategies (11/2015-10/2021), Total value: £1,477,433.
- Co-Investigator of MSCA European Joint Doctorate Programme: High Performance Computing in Life Sciences, Engineering and Physics (HPC-LEAP; 10/2015-9/2019).
- Joint grant holder and co-Investigator of the Wellcome Trust Project 093587Z/10/Z: Functional and population genomics of the Anopheles innate immune system and its interactions with malaria parasites (12/2010-7/2015). Total value of support: £1,000,000.
- Co-Investigator and Work Package Leader of FP7 Collaborative Project HEALTH-F3-2008-223736: TransMalariaBloc-Malaria Transmission Blocking by Vaccines, Drugs and Immune Mosquitoes: efficacy assessment and targets (12/2008-5/2013). Total value: £2,818,000.
- Co-Investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NHI) grant P01 AI044220-07: Innate immunity in vertebrates and insects (2005-2009)